Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined Colorado U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen and Colorado’s Democratic Congressional Delegation to urge President Donald Trump to fully fund the Head Start program in the upcoming budget. The lawmakers’ letter comes amid reports that the Trump administration is considering a proposal to eliminate funding for Head Start.
“Colorado families face a child care crisis: child care is neither affordable nor accessible, and most families face a lengthy enrollment waitlist. The elimination of Head Start funding would further imperil an already fragile state of affairs – particularly for rural communities, where local child care facilities are often oversubscribed or nonexistent. Head Start facilities often serve as the only affordable option,” wrote Bennet, Pettersen, and the lawmakers.
Head Start provides assistance to over 40 million children in the United States each year. The program helps prepare children for success in school and beyond, enables families to achieve greater stability and self-sufficiency, supports working parents, and boosts local economies. In their letter, the lawmakers argue that cutting funds to Head Start would exacerbate the harm caused to working families amidst a child care crisis.
“Since the 1990s, the cost of child care has more than tripled, outpacing wages, the cost of groceries, and even housing. Reducing critical funding for Head Start would reverse decades of bipartisan investment in children amidst a cost-of-living crisis, compounding potential harm for working families,” continued the lawmakers.
In Colorado alone, more than 11,600 children rely on Head Start services every year. Head Start supports over 5,000 jobs and provides child care, early education, nutrition, and health services to children in low-income households, while also offering parents opportunities for employment and education.
“This isn’t about politics. It’s about kids,” said Heather Frenz, Executive Director, Colorado Head Start Association. “Colorado’s families need Head Start now more than ever. Eliminating this program would be a devastating blow — and it’s simply unacceptable.”
In addition to Bennet and Pettersen, Colorado U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and Colorado U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, and Jason Crow signed the letter.
The text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear President Trump:
We write to express our concerns with any proposal that cuts or eliminates Head Start and Early Head Start (Head Start), and we request that the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Budget Request includes sufficient funding to support these vital programs.
From the inception of Head Start 60 years ago, every Administration, including yours, has supported and recognized this program’s foundational role in solidifying life’s earliest years. Head Start benefits more than 40 million children across the United States each year, offering child care, health, and nutrition services to children, as well as employment and educational support to parents. Presidents have endorsed Head Start because it prepares children for success in school and beyond, helps families achieve greater stability and self-sufficiency, supports working parents, and boosts local economies.
Given more than half a century of unwavering support for Head Start, we write to share our deep concerns with the USA Today article citing that your Administration is considering a budget proposal that would eliminate funding for Head Start. In Colorado alone, this proposal would
impact the well-being of more than 11,600 children, 5,000 jobs, and thousands of families, some of whom live in rural areas that lack access to early care and education programs.
Colorado families face a child care crisis: child care is neither affordable nor accessible, and most families face a lengthy enrollment waitlist. The elimination of Head Start funding would further imperil an already fragile state of affairs – particularly for rural communities, where local child care facilities are often oversubscribed or nonexistent. Head Start facilities often serve as the only affordable option. Since the 1990s, the cost of child care has more than tripled, outpacing wages, the cost of groceries, and even housing. Reducing critical funding for Head Start would reverse decades of bipartisan investment in children amidst a cost-of-living crisis, compounding potential harm for working families.
As you continue your work developing the FY26 Budget Request, we urge you to keep in mind the well-being of children and families who depend on Head Start. Again, we stress our deep concerns with reports that the Administration intends to eliminate Head Start funding and urge you to include robust funding for these essential programs in the FY26 Budget Request.